This weekend

Mountain Valley Cluster Dog Show

Today through Sunday: An all-breed dog show at the Salem Civic Center with free admission for viewers. Each of the more than 100 breeds is judged in 10 different rings until the favorite gets named "Best of Show." Find your favorite dog by going to infodog.com and checking out each day's judging schedule. Judging usually starts about 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. For your furry friends, you'll have to pay, but there are clinics all day today. A microchip clinic will cost $35, a SERF eye exam will be $25 and a cardiac exam for Fido is $35. Visit infodog.com and find this show to get more information about the clinics.

Steppin' Out

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The annual street festival in Blacksburg showcases more than 150 artists and crafts people. There's more than enough for the grown-ups to do (and hear!) on the three stages, but the most kid-friendly is the community stage with "The Young scientists's Experience" (3:30 p.m. Friday), a tae kwon do demonstration (11 a.m. Saturday), a martial arts demonstration (2 p.m. Saturday) and more. The community stage is at the corner of Draper Road and Jackson Street, next to the Kids Korner. There's also face painting, balloon artists, take-home crafts (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday) and story time. Admission is free and so is parking -- including metered parking -- and the Blacksburg Transit. For more information, visit downtownblacksburg.com or call the Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg at 951-0454.

Aug. 8-10

Summer Blast

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 9. The seventh annual festival promises a day of fun at Roanoke County's Green Hill park with free activities for children 12 and younger. There will be interactive games, clowns, face painting, karaoke, a misting tent, hayrides, costumed characters, "Touch-A-Truck," giant inflatables, pony rides and more. The "Bike Blast" will be back, too, with bike races for all age groups and a bike safety review. More games include "play to lose" reverse checkers and obstacle courses, and many tie into this year's theme: "Be the best you can be." Attendees will be able to meet local people who started living their dreams from an early age. For more information, visit roanokecountyparks.com or call 387-6455.

Taste of Culture: Latin

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 8. Head downtown to Roanoke's Century Plaza on Church Avenue for a diversity event by the people who bring you Local Colors every year. This month's featured culture is Latin, and you'll find green chile and chicken enchilada casserole, rice with vegetables, Latin slaw, Mexican and Colombian cookies, tropical drinks and more. Plus there will be Ecuadoran, Honduran and Mexican crafts, Ecuadoran musicians, Latin American guitarists, games and even a pinata. Note: In case of rain, the event will move inside SunTrust Bank at 10 Franklin Road. For more information, visit localcolors.org.

Free Fridays

Aug. 8. If you can't get enough of the museums during the Free Family Fun Weekend on Aug. 16 and 17, get a free preview the week before. The Art Museum is moving, but Art Venture will be open and free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (342-5760, artmuseumroanoke.org). Also in Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke are the History Museum of Western Virginia (1 to 4 p.m. 342-5770, history-museum.org) and the Science Museum of Western Virginia (noon to 6 p.m. 342-5710, smwv.org).

Aug. 16-17

Free Family Fun Weekend

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 16 and 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 17. In honor of its 25th birthday, Center in the Square is celebrating with a street festival and "square affair." In addition to inflatable games, fantasy face painting by Sally Edelman, Ziggy's Entertainment clowns and foods, all the museums in Center in the Square are free for the weekend, so kids can start some fun learning before they jump back into school. The main stage is outside on the market and features fun for the whole family with acts such as the Deborah Liles Group (10 a.m. Saturday), "The Body as a Drum" (5 p.m. Saturday), the Foggy Mountain Boys (10 a.m. Sunday) and much more. The young children's stage, located inside Center in the Square, will entertain the little ones with shows such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" (1 p.m. Saturday), "Discover the Magic in Books (noon and 4 p.m. Saturday) and animal, creature and dinosaur shows with Rainbow Puppets (5 p.m. Saturday; 3 and 5 p.m. Sunday). Look for science-related performances in the Science Museum's planetarium, and history- and African-American-related performances in the History Museum. For more information, visit centerinthesquare.org or call 342-5702.

Free flicks

If you're looking for a quiet couple hours with entertainment for the kids, check out some of the free movies that run well into the school year:

Free Family Film Festival at Valley View Grande 16

Free movies at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 7. Showing "Charlotte's Web" (G) and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (PG) today and "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie" (G) and "Peter Pan" (PG) Tuesday through Aug. 7. For more information, visit regmovies.com.

Monday Movie Madness

A weekly movie for kids and families. Free admission and popcorn. Showing "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" on Monday, "The Sword in the Stone" (Aug. 11) and "Nancy Drew" (Aug. 18). 2 p.m. Mondays. Hollins Library, 6624 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke. For more information, call 561-8024.

Free Family Film Festival at New River Valley 14

Free movies at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Aug. 20. Showing "Mr. Bean's Holiday" (G) and "Happy Feet" (PG) Tuesday and Wednesday, "Charlotte's Web" (G) and "Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" (PG) Aug. 12 and 13 and "Wallace and Gromit" (G) and "Surf's Up" (PG) Aug. 19 and 20. For more information, visit regmovies.com.

Midweek Movie Madness

A weekly movie for kids and families. Free admission and popcorn. Showing "Ice Princess" (Wednesday), "Chicken Little" (Aug. 13), "Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds" (Aug. 20) and "Ariel's Beginning" (Aug. 27). 4 p.m. Wednesdays. Vinton Library, 800 E. Washington Ave., Vinton. For more information, call 857-5043.

Movies in the Park

Bring a blanket or lawn chair and catch a free movie on the lawn. Showing "Bee Movie" (PG) on Aug. 8, "Footloose" (PG) on Sept. 20 and "Ghostbusters" (PG) on Oct. 10 at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke. Movies begin at dark. For more information, visit downtown roanoke.org or call 342-2028.

Classic movies at the Lyric

The movie's free, but the theater is asking patrons to bring a nonperishable food item for the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program Food Pantry. Showing "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" at 2 p.m. Aug. 9. The Lyric Theatre, 135 College Ave., Blacksburg. For more information, call 951-4771.

Family movie

Showing "Hannah Montana" on a large screen with surround sound (and complimentary 3-D glasses) at 2 p.m. Aug. 15. Free admission and popcorn. Roanoke County Library, 3131 Electric Road. For more information, call 772-7507.

Saturday morning cartoons

Screenings of the original "Looney Tunes" cartoons. 10 a.m. Aug. 15 and 16. Grandin Theatre, 1310 Grandin Road, Roanoke. For more information, visit grandintheatre.com or call 345-6177.

Hollywood in the Hills

Bedford's family-friendly outdoor movie series. Showing "Happy Feet" (PG) Aug. 16 and "We Are Marshall" (PG) Sept. 20. Movies begin at dusk at Bedford Elementary School athletic field. For more information, visit visitbedford.com or call 587-5681.

Movie on the Drillfield

An outdoor movie on Virginia Tech's Drillfield. Showing "Iron Man" (PG-13) at 9 p.m. Aug. 22 as part of Hokie Hi Welcome Week. For more information, visit vtu.org or call 231-5725.

Screen on the Green

Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism's drive-in movie series where the audio broadcasts right to your car's stereo. Showing "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (PG-13) on Aug. 30 at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County. Movie begins at dusk. For more information, call 772-2006.